Dallas Mavericks (22-44) beat Memphis Grizzlies (23-42) 120-112 on the road on Thursday, March 12.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Mavericks had the better start, winning the first 34-22 to lead by 12 after one. The Grizzlies cut into the deficit with a 32-31 second quarter, though the Mavericks still led by 11 at halftime.
The Grizzlies won the third 30-21 to stay in front, taking a 2-point lead into the fourth. The Mavericks took the fourth 34-28; the Mavericks finished the job for a 120-112 regulation win.
What decided it
The Mavericks grabbed 46.7% of their own misses, while the Grizzlies recovered 26.4%. The Mavericks got more from their shots, finishing at 54.3% effective field-goal shooting compared with 49% for the Grizzlies. The second chances kept adding up.
The Grizzlies did win one battle, ball security: TOV% of 9.6 against 18.7. The Mavericks made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 103 possessions per team, the Mavericks produced 116.9 points per 100 possessions to 109.1 for the Grizzlies.
Who made the difference
Khris Middleton was the game's biggest individual force for DAL: 35 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast on 10-17 shooting. His Game Score of 31.2 led everyone. His team was +21 with him on the floor.
Jaylen Wells led the Grizzlies with 23 pts, 2 reb, 2 ast on 7-15 shooting, good for a 19.2 Game Score.
Taylor Hendricks (17 pts, 10 reb, 2 ast), P.J. Washington (12 pts, 10 reb, 1 ast), and Daniel Gafford (22 pts, 14 reb, 1 ast) each recorded a double-double.
What it means
By our Win Meter this was an upset: The Mavericks entered with about a 31% chance.
Across the last 8 meetings in our records, Memphis Grizzlies lead 7-1.
The Mavericks are now 22-44, and the Grizzlies are 23-42. The Mavericks last five before this game: L-L-L-L-L.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.